A new database of atmospheric particulate matter emission source profiles in Europe (SPECIEUROPE) developed in the framework of the Forum for air quality modeling in Europe (FAIRMODE, Working Group 3) is accessible at the website http://source-apportionment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/Specieurope/index.aspx. It contains the chemical composition of particulate matter emission sources reported in the scientific literature and reports drafted by competent authorities. The first release of SPECIEUROPE consists of 151 measured (original), 13 composite (merging different subcategories of similar sources), 6 calculated (from stoichiometric composition) and 39 derived (results of source apportionment studies) profiles. Each profile is related to one or more source categories or subcategories. The sources with the highest PM relative mass toxic pollutants such as PAHs are fuel oil burning, ship emissions, coke burning and wood burning. Heavy metals are most abundant in metal processing activities while halogens are mostly present in fertilizer production, coal burning and metallurgic sector. Anhydrosugars are only measured in biomass and wood burning source categories, because are markers for these categories. The alkaline earth metals are mostly present in road dust, cement production, soil dust and sometimes coal burning. Source categories like traffic and industrial, which contain heterogeneous subcategories, show the greatest internal variability.The relationships between sources profiles were also explored using a cluster analysis approach based upon the Standardized Identity Distance (SID) indicator. The majority of profiles are allocated in 8 major clusters. Some of the clusters include profiles mainly from one source category (e.g. wood burning) while others, such as industrial source profiles, are more heterogeneous and spread over three different clusters.

Copper mining generates large quantities of waste, tailings, and acid outflows causing long-term environmental impacts and potential threats to human health. Valea Şesei is the largest tailing impoundment in Romania, created by flooding the valley (known as Valea Şesei) of the Metalliferous Mountains (a division of the Apuseni Mountains) with copper mining waste. The present study (i) estimated the total volume of tailings in this area; (ii) screened the concentration of 65 elements (rare earth and platinum group elements, alkali metals and alkali earth metals, transition and post-transition metals and metalloids) and cyanide concentrations in wastewater samples collected from tailing impoundment; (iii) evaluated the toxicity of these water samples using five in vitro bioassays employing human cells isolated from healthy donors and a short-term (1 h) exposure model. The sampled waters were highly acidic (pH 2.1–4.9) and had high electrical conductivity (280–1561 mS cm⁻¹). No cyanides were detected in any sample. Water samples collected from the stream (AMD) inflowing to the tailing impoundment were characterized by the greatest concentrations of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition and post-transition metals, metalloids, rare earth elements, and noble metal group. At other sites, the elemental concentrations were lower but remained high enough to pose a relevant risk. The greatest magnitude of in vitro toxic effects was induced by AMD. Observed alterations included redox imbalance in human neutrophils followed by lipid peroxidation and decreased cell survival, significant aggregation of red blood cells, and increased prothrombin time. The study highlights that Valea Şesei is a large sink for toxic elements, posing environmental and health risks, and requiring action to prevent further release of chemicals and to initiate restoration of the area.

The wide use of asbestos and its substitutes has given rise to studies on their possible harmful effects on human health and environment. However, their toxic effects remain unclear. The present study was aimed to disclose the coupled effects of dissolved high-valence ions and oxide radicals using the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of chrysotile (CA), nano-SiO₂ (NS), ceramic fiber (CF), glass fiber (GF), and rock wool (RW) on Chinese hamster lung cells V79. All samples induced cell mortality correlated well with the chemical SiO₂ content of asbestos substitutes and the amount of dissolved Si. Alkali or alkaline earth metal elements relieved mortality of V79 cells; Al₂O₃ reinforced toxicity of materials. Asbestos substitutes generated lasting, increasing amount of acellular ·OH which formed at the fiber surface at sites with loose/unsaturated bonds, as well as by catalytic reaction through dissolved iron. Accumulated mechanical and radical stimulation induced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, morphology change, and deviating trans-membrane ion flux. The cellular ROS appeared as NS > GF > CF ≈ CA > RW, consistent with cell mortality rather than with acellular ·OH generation. Chromosomal and DNA lesions in V79 cells were not directly associated with the cellular ROS, while influenced by dissolved high-valence irons in the co-culture medium. In conclusion, ions from short-time dissolution of dust samples and the generation of extracellular ·OH presented combined effects in the elevation of intracellular ROS, which further synergistically induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity.